Everything about anything teeth!

Main menu

Tag Archives: Shalimar Family Dentistry

It’s that time of year again, when the holidays are upon us, family and friend gatherings, and days seem to get shorter and shorter. With each passing year, it seems like we become busier and busier and time grows shorter and shorter. This holiday season, I hope we all take the challenge and remember all the big and the little things we can be thankful for each and every day. At the end of your day, I hope that we remember to say thank you to someone, to smile, and to be grateful for the small and simple things in life. With that said, and with the fact that I am a hygienist, I am listing just a few things that I am thankful that begin with the letter “T.”

TEETH that help me smile, talk, and eat

Toothbrushes and Toothpaste to keep my mouth healthy and happy

Turkey, who doesn’t love Turkey?!

Trivia, to enlighten me with random facts of knowledge

Technology that enables us to solve problems and obtain information at the touch of hand

Terrific Employers, Friends/Employees I work with and Patients that make my job more than just an occupation

consisting of:

From all of us here, we wish you the happiest and most memorable holiday season! May you know how grateful we are for YOU this Thanksgiving Season!

From March – June, our offices will be participating in Smiles for Life.

What is Smiles for Life? The Smiles for Life Foundation raises money for seriously ill, disabled, and underprivileged children in our local communities and around the world. It also helps sponsor Dental Humanitarian trips throughout the world.

How does it work? We welcome you to our office, whether it’s your first visit or you are a long time patient. Ultradent donates the whitening materials, and our Dentists donate their time. Together, we offer professional teeth whitening services at substantially reduced prices (donations). You may choose between three different whitening options:

1. Professionally made-to-fit-your-mouth trays and 8 tubes of take home whitening gel
2. In Office Whitening
3. In Office Whitening with take home trays and 8 tubes of take home whitening gel

Where does my donation go? No proceeds stay in the office. 100% of your donation goes to children’s charities! 50% will go to Hope Arising, a charity that our offices work directly with. The other 50% is given to a children’s charity approved by the Smiles For Life Foundation. And for you, it is all tax deductible!

What are the benefits to professional whitening? Whitening helps you look and feel younger. And when you professionally whiten your teeth, you are ensuring a safer, more effective way of whitening. Over the counter items may be quicker and cheaper, but they are not tailored to your specific mouth and are not as effective. If you have ever wanted to whiten, now is the time. Everybody wins!

If you would like more information on Smiles for Life, please check out this short video: http://youtu.be/asAom_V5ukY or visit them at: http://www.smilesforlife.org

If you would like to learn more about the organization we specifically work with, Hope Arising, you may check out this video: http://youtu.be/zi06jlAVQOc or visit their website here: http://hopearising.org (you may even see some of our great Doctors pictured on their page!)

I once had an elementary school teacher who would scream if she heard the word “dentist.” About 75% of the population has some form of dental anxiety while about 5-10% of the population has an actual dental phobia. There are various degrees of dental anxiety/phobia, some even requiring psychiatric help. Those who experience this fear of going to the dentist will often avoid dental appointments until they are in extreme pain. I think we all realize that sometimes going to the dentist is just not fun. However, some signs that you may suffer from legitimate dental anxiety/phobia include trouble sleeping the night before a dental appointment, nervous feelings that increase in the dental office waiting room, crying or feeling physically sick when thinking about the dentist, and/or panic attacks or difficulty breathing when at or thinking of the dentist.

So what causes dental anxiety or dental phobia? Some common reasons for experiencing dental anxiety are fear of pain, fear of injections, fear that injections won’t work, fear of anesthetic side effects, fear of not being in control, embarrassment, and loss of personal space. The key to dealing with any of these fears is to talk to your dentist. If your dentist is aware of your fear(s) he/she can suggest ways to make you feel more comfortable when in the dental chair. Some helpful strategies include:

Having your dentist explain procedures in detail prior to and during treatment

Topical anesthetic and/or closing your eyes during injections

Establish a “stop” signal when you want your dentist to stop or give you a break

Nitrous oxide prior to treatment

Prescription pre-medication (such as Halcion)

Sedation/general anesthesia

At our offices we do offer intravenous sedation techniques for dental treatment. With these techniques, sedation drugs are administered through an IV in the patient’s arm or hand. While the patient is sedated, they will still be still be conscious and able to respond to dental staff. They will also be able to breathe on their own.

Recognizing dental fears and finding ways to cope with them is extremely important to your dental health. Regular check-ups and cleanings can help prevent recurrent decay, which in turn can reduce the amount of time and money you spend at the dentist.

Many patients are concerned about radiograph frequencies, fearing they are receiving too much radiation. While too much radiation is not good, I want to clarify what is too much and share some important facts about the purpose and benefits of radiographs.

Why do we need to take radiographs?

Radiographs can help dental professionals evaluate and diagnose many oral diseases and conditions. Radiographs can be used to evaluate cavities, bone levels, calculus deposits, abscesses, root apices, wisdom teeth, cysts, sinuses, growths, foreign objects, jaw joints, and/or jaw fractures. Much of what goes on in the mouth is not viewable without a radiograph. In most cases, treating patients without radiographs would be performing below the standard of care. Exceptions can be made in certain circumstances regarding pregnancy or patients who have undergone extensive radiation treatment for other reasons.

How often should radiographs be taken?

Radiograph frequencies are recommended by the American Dental Association. A “full set” of radiographs is generally 18-20 images, depending on the office. A full set is usually taken at a patient’s initial visit to the office and then every 3-5 years after. Panoramic radiographs are helpful in assessing when/if wisdom teeth need to be removed and in viewing eruption of permanent teeth in children. In these cases the dentist uses his/her clinical judgment to determine if a panoramic radiograph is necessary. “Check-up” radiographs usually consist of bitewings and anterior peri-apical radiographs. Frequency of these radiographs will vary from patient to patient but can be prescribed anywhere between 6 months and 36 months. Radiograph frequency is prescribed by the dentist based on a patient’s risk of caries or history of caries.

On average, Americans receive a radiation dose of about 0.62 rem (620 millirem) each year. We live in a radioactive world. Radiation is part of the environment and some types can’t be avoided. These include the air around us, cosmic rays, and the Earth itself. About half of our radiation dose comes from these sources. The other half of our yearly dose comes from man-made radiation sources that can include medical, commercial, and industrial sources. Medical radiographic imaging causes more radiation than dental radiographs. One dental intraoral radiograph has a radiation dose of about 0.005 rem. Similarly, a full set of radiographs at a dental office has the same amount of radiation as flying roundtrip from L.A. to New York. In this day and age many dental offices are using digital equipment to process radiographs. Digital imaging emits even less radiation (as much as 80% less) while still producing diagnostic images.

As dental professionals we are aware that patient’s are exposed to radiation. We take proper precautions and cover the neck, thyroid, and chest with a lead apron. We also make sure our radiology equipment has regular checks to ensure it is functioning properly. Radiographs are prescribed with the patient’s best interest at heart.

We look forward to helping you create that new smile that you have always wanted.